5 charged following weekend anti-mask rally in Calgary

Police have laid charges against five individuals after a rally against COVID-19 public-health orders on Saturday that drew hundreds of unmasked protesters to downtown Calgary.

According to police, the situation on Saturday escalated toward the end of the rally, when a large group of people crowded officers and started to interfere as they were handing out tickets.

Charges include obstructing a peace officer, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. The names and ages of the accused were not given.

“A lot of times these gatherings involve a lot of people and it can be a fairly dynamic situation – we tend not to go into the middle of that, and I think the challenges of doing that were underscored on Saturday,” Calgary police chief Mark Neufeld said on Monday.

In an attempt to discourage people from attending anti-mask rallies, the police chief said that in previous weeks, officers tried targeted enforcement and focused on ticketing rally organizers. Without much change, officers have decided to switch tactics in hopes of deterring people from attending the rallies.

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“There was an expansion of the enforcement to include others who were repeat people who were attending the rallies or perhaps individuals who were a little bit difficult to deal with during the rallies,” Neufeld said.

On Friday, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said at a press conference that the anti-mask protesters “are folks who are incorrigible.”

“You’ve heard me say this before, they’re doing this because they get a thrill out of doing it,” Nenshi said.

“They’re not going to change anybody’s mind. It’s a waste of time and you run the risk of getting a ticket.”

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Calgary police are responsible for enforcing mandatory COVID-19 restrictions. The service said its public health compliance team is focusing on mass gatherings, self-isolation and quarantine and businesses that are not complying with restrictions.